“Waste Away,” “Play Dumb” and “Under My Skin” are all Brill Building/Lennon-McCartney good. As always, the tunes here are brilliant, testimony to Troper’s mastery of the pop song form. The effect is like a cheesecloth-covered dream-return to one’s old apartment: it’s gonna be one part nostalgia and mega parts pure invention. Now his new MTV takes things even further, messing with tape speeds and offering up an indie-garage-like mix. 2021’s Dilettante wasn’t afraid to let its sound get a bit blare-y at times, an effective counterpoint to the reliably hooky melodies. Since the release of his pristine pop album Natural Beauty in 2020 Mo Troper appears to have been pedalling back to the rougher parts of his musical youth. Seriously, you could recapture a bit of your youth just by purchasing this LP. Or there’s just the breathtaking 10cc-like melody that breaks out of the chorus of “Cold Turkey.” Hints of other influences are peppered throughout – the subtle dab of ABBA lurking in “Sweet Things” or the Cure-like kick off to “Place in the World.” Album closer “Do Your Worst” really showcases the band’s incredible musical tightrope act, contrasting opposing sounds like dramatic shades of colour, green or otherwise.
Check out the fantastic keyboard and cello interplay on “Little One” and “Another Try,” how they drive up the intensity of melody. There’s more of the same on the rest of the album but as we sojourn into the deep cuts you really start to appreciate the instrumental tension that binds these players into a singular musical force, how the cello and guitar and drums (with an occasional dose of keyboards) hold together and stretch apart as if by elastic. The band and the audience are serious about having fun and these songs deliver. The album kicks off dance-party style with a trio of stompers: “Around and Around,” “Dance Alone” and “Changes.” If you’ve seen any pictures of their concerts then you know ‘party’ is operative word.
The band still seem like the late night love child of the Violent Femmes and the Killers to me but perhaps with a more consistent sonic palate this time around. If you could bottle up the intensity and explosive joy of youth it might sound like this. New Jersey’s The Happy Fits are back with their third album Under the Shade of Green and it is pretty amazing. Definitely time to check in with the poprock desk.
#Songs on 3rd bass cactus album full
As fall settles in the headline news is full regal passings and rightwing populist posturing.
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